@@for3v3rfaithfulYeah I believe what you are giving us but still no matter how small the notes still get muted so just living with the dilemma 😭💔 Gumby tiny Hands 🥹
this is literally the exact thing i tried looking for videos for when i starting learning to play guitar. you don't know how much i appreciate this video. it came just at the right time. I'll definitely be trying these tips!
I have just bought a Squier Mini Strat 3/4 size guitar. I am 155cms tall with fairly small hands. I had a giant size grin in the store when I held the guitar. The shorter scale length, narrow neck & frets closer together is just bliss. You can imagine my excitement.....as I also have a full size classical dreadnaught guitar, which obviously also has a high action, being a classical. The latter has been stored in a hardcase for 50 years. I will never buy a full size guitar ever again. Bottom line.....hand size DOES matter. I LOVE my new Squier Mini Strat, which fits my body & hand size perfectly. PS I did watch your video before my purchase. Thank you for your sound advice. 🇿🇦🎸 Cape Town, South Africa.
Here’s the deal: It is WAY better to have big hands. However, many years ago, even though I knew that was true, I wanted to play so bad I decided to put in the work knowing I’d never be a great player because of my small hands. 30 years of playing down the road, with hundreds of gigs behind me, three studio recordings, radio appearances, etc., I still can’t really do a major form II barre chord on acoustic. But I’ve had a total blast doing what I could with what I was given.
It’s really hard to accept that we have such limits, but I guess reality is always there, thanks for sharing your experience man. I was feeling down because I finally decided to stop forcing me the thought that I could play as someone with big hands, which isn’t true, I’ll keep trying, I’ll try to cheat (like using other fingers) and so, but I won’t stress too much if I can’t play those specific chords
This was encouraging, gave me hope. I'm a guy, but I also have smaller hands than even many of my female friends. I'm sure some of the 3-finger position maneuvering along the neck leaves me looking much like a kid trying to scale a toddler gate. This video gives me hope. ❤
All solid tips. As someone with smaller hands (and being an older late beginner), implementing these tips will definitely help to optimize our abilities.
It blows my mind that there are actually so many shapes 😱, I bought a classical guitar and no one told me if it was a D-shape or a U-shape or anything else.🤦🏻♂️ However I tried it, but it's hard to know, unless you are very experimented, if you choose right. Your videos are so educational, Ellen 🥰
Thanks Alain! I agree - so many aspects of buying a guitar are totally overlooked by most beginners because how can you know what to look for if you've never been told about it? 🤔 I'm glad I could teach you something new, and thanks so much for watching! 🤗💕
I got the measurements from a different guitar and estimated a smaller nut width and scale that would feel more comfortable. I ended up finding a Gretsch "Jim Dandy" (Mahogany), and I cannot tell you how wonderful and warm it sounds and how much more comfortable I am learning to play it
Another thing they might want to try is moving to electric. I've always had trouble with most acoustics with my hands. A strat style guitar has a very small neck in comparison. Even my Les Paul style guitar is comfortable even though it's a little bigger. Overall, a well done video. Ty for what you do.
@impactQuake I know it can be difficult, but there are other ways to enjoy guitar if the 'conventional' ways are tough. I still have trouble with some chords like f and Barre chords. You could try alternative fingerings for each chord to get the same sound, or work on finger picking and solo stuff. I hope you find a way that can work for you. I've given up like 6 times, so I get it.
@@impactQuake I struggle with that as well. I usually do 0-1-2-3 and lift off to hit 4 with my pinky or jump 1 to 4 doing a blues riff. Lift off for all of them if you have to. Don't be afraid to break 'rules' and get creative. I'm just saying they're your fingers and your guitar. You can do it your way. Most chords are 1-3 frets and can be simplified. That covers a LOT of music. I wish you well. I can't force you to keep it up, since it's your decision. I know being at a disadvantage IS daunting, but it's worth it.
My wrist doesn't have 100% rotation following an accident and reconstruction a few years back, so I'm always interested in seeming alternate ways to get into position for some of the notes / chords. It has definitely made learning guitar challenging.
In the last exercise Ellen gives, it's best to start on the 5th Fret first due to the first Fret being further apart (as she said). Practice to the highest E string. Then, back to the lowest E string. Then, after approximately a fortnight, once it starts feeling more comfortable, move up a Fret. I decided to create something extra & extended each practice by plucking with my right thumb on round one. Round 2 with i, m (striking twice on each note). Round 3 (striking 3 times on each note) with i, m. Round 4 with m, a (Striking 4 times on each note) & 5th note on a, m. Besides exercising your Right hand fingers as well, it holds your left hand fingers in position longer, extending the stretch. You don't have to start with all 5 rounds if it feels too much. You can build up to it. Remember, it's not speed we're focusing on here, but improving your strength and dexterity of your fingers. When you feel comfortable at the first Fret, then, if you want, you can start increasing your speed. Hope this helps! It's helped me! After practising this exercise for 4 weeks, I've just started on the 3rd fret. No. I'm not a professional, but I used to play Flamenco casually years ago & got back into it a few months ago. I don't remember my left hand or arm hurting as it is, but then I've been pretty determined to succeed. As with any muscles that you stretch on any part of the body, it will be a little sore in the beginning. One just stops when it gets too sore & start again the next day & the muscles get stronger. So, don't give up! Good luck, everyone & enjoy your progress!
Love how you teach. You’re the best teacher. I have a very small hands. Only 6” from the bottom of my palm to the tip of my middle finger. I’ll watch your other video on how to do with my thumb next. Thanks again for the encouragement.
Hi Ellen! Thank you for these tips! I started teaching myself guitar 14 years ago, and your videos was helpful for me, but I don't watch them as much anymore. I also have small hands and short fingers. My hands and fingers are almost the same size as yours except my index finger is 2" instead of 2.5." I have two 3/4 guitars, one is a classical guitar with a wide fretboard, and the other is an acoustic with narrower fretboard, it it is much easier to use the acoustic. Funny thing is that piano is my main instrument I play, and someone shook my hand one time and said "you have tiny hands. You're not a pianist are you?" and I said "actually I am and I majored in music for college." It is difficult to play piano and guitar with small hands/fingers but it's possible!
Thank you, my hand size has been one of my biggest insecurities, especially as an adult male, 31 years old, my hands are below average(though for my height maybe they are average idk) and for a long time thought it would make it impossible to learn. Got to the point where it hit me I gotta try anyway. I figured if there are 7 year olds playing I am just making excuses. I picked up cycling, but need some new hobbies. A couple hour bike ride is great but the couch is not a great place to be so often. So I finally reached out to a local shop to look for lessons (I know I can learn on UA-cam but I know myself and know I need someone to push and keep me accountable). Thank you again, you've helped make it feel possible
The only reason that motivated me to try to learn guitar was exactly that I saw that you, like me, have little hands, and I thought exactly that: if she can play, then I can play too 😄and so I did, I bought a beginners guitar that you advertised, and went from Beginners Tutorial 1-10, until I made it! 💪💪💪 thank you so much for your amazing tutorials. I shared your channel with so many friends already!
Thank you! My fingers are the EXACT same size as yours. I'm 68 years old and I have been playing for about 1 1/2 years, it's been a struggle and I have found I've had to work around a few problems, in the beginning I wasn't aware that there are alternative ways to play chords. Watching you play will be helpful I'm sure.
I sure hope so! 🤞🏼 Having smaller hands/shorter fingers definitely comes with its frustrations but it's like you said - you learn workarounds as you go and we might play things a little differently sometimes but it doesn't really matter too much when the alternative is not playing at all, right? 😉 Thanks for watching and good luck! 💕
This is soo good and latter end of this video really target some Beginner questions I had. Thank you for this and your tips with encouragement for us short-handed folk! 😆
Thank you sooo much for this video, my finger measurements are the same as yours and so is my hand. I've struggled for years, I have arthritis in both hands plus I'm left handed, I have MS also so after a while I gave up on learning. I have a squire affinity strat guitar that's 25.5 scale length that I still can't play. In mid December I ordered an ESP LTD EC-256. It's scale length is 24.75 and the body is smaller so I'm determined to learn to play. I'm glad I ran across your channel!
Thank you so much for your time you have given us small handy peeps, I want to learn when I was a young kid but always had trouble, I acquired a Hondo guitar recently & it has pushed me to learn, after listening/watching you I think my Hondo guitar is going to be to big for me
@AmandaSnoise to be honest, I never learned because I quit trying. I have no one to teach me and it was just too hard and didn't understand. I feel like the guitar is too large for my hands...even though the neck is still thin profile 😔
@@defaultdacat I encourage you to try again! I have a HUGE Spanish guitar from my brother, teeny weenie hands and am a beginner (maybe three weeks now). I have been practicing the changes slowly over and over without a pick so it's very quiet and I don't feel too self conscious. I'll make a post of my super newbie basic practice method and maybe it can help! Playing guitar is fun and soothing 😊
@@for3v3rfaithful thank you so much for the answer ❤️ I just started learning guitar and I feel my hands are so small tho it seems my hands are a bit bigger than yours. I'm 160cm woman 😆 I bought a dreadnought guitar and i hope I will get used to it with practice 😌
I've got tiny hands so I prefer D shapes. Many guitar videos do not mention this and even in the specs for guitars its not mentioned anymore, so this is a very informative video. If you lower the action on a travel guitar lighter strings might not be possible. Glad I found your channel I will look up your other videos. Thanks.
Very nice. Really appreciate your video. I'm a 55 years old male who have started learning electric guitar for 4-5 years. I'm 167 cm in height but surprisingly all measurement from my hands are shorter than yours (except for the hand length which is slightly longer). Yes with hard practice I can play guitars (bar chords, some tough chords are not really problem but need to find my own way to do it) but with a number of limitations when coming to solos. I always have bad pain on my wrist and thumb (guess this is because I have to bend my wrist and position my thumb behind the neck most of the time otherwise my pinky won't even reach the 3rd string without muting the 1st and 2nd. On "A" power chord I can't mute the 1st string with the thumb. I normally sit with classical guitar posture instead of standard electric guitar posture. It is much more comfortable. Guess I have to look for a right guitar for my hands i.e. shorter scale length, thinner neck, narrow fret board. With very small hand and short fingers, one surely can play guitars but have to struggle a lot to be a good player. Keep going guys, you can do it.
There are many skilled children playing guitar on UA-cam. They have smaller hands than you. There shouldn't be any pain when playing, maybe put your guitar higher up or at an angle. Good luck!
Thank you so much. Male 16 yrld with very small hands. Was losing hope because every guitar i had was to big. I am learning about guitars so i didnt know there was different sizes for guitar. Thank you so much
Interesting... thank you... I have just started learning and yes it is difficult to do even the beginner stuff. Mind you I am 82, but still have quite good hand dexterity. I do have a full size guitar (a Yamaha F310), but it has a very slim neck which helps. All I have to do now is attempt to play enough to toughen up my finger ends... I think your tips will help a lot... :-) x
I subbed because this is exactly the challenge I am facing! Small hands that don't stretch all that well. i will now be going to watch your other videos as i feel you will be able to help me over come this and not give up after spending the money I did. I can confirm what you said about the string gauge as I just convinced my son (who wanted me to learn) to change to a lighter one. It definitely did make a difference, but it does change the sound, so be aware of that. I did sneaky wise buy myself a capo and yes I can confirm this one as well. However my son is right, by using it you are not helping to strengthen your fingers or your reach. Hope this helps others.
Thank you for the insight! 🙌 I'm glad these tips were helpful and appreciate the sub! 💕 Mastering guitar is definitely something that takes time, patience, and quite some trial and error - but you've got this! 🎸🎶
@@for3v3rfaithful Thank you for this most needed boost of confidence. That was what I figured other's might need to by telling my story on learning an reinforcing that what you are saying is spot on. : )
OMG i hope i find the vid ealier. my hands are so smal that i'm always thinking about quit guitar cuz my teacher said i dont have the gift...but i never thought about choozing the right size which may fit me better😭thanks for your video and your voice is so sweet❤
I was bought a parlour Fender guitar she’s a beauty, I tied some feather’s & a crystal on her so she kept catching my eye & make me want to pick her up & play! Took me a while until I found your video’s.. once I found your wee arrows & easy strumming I made some sounds that heightened my enthusiasm! My hands are small & my fingers are like sausages, but I’ve kept going! I bought a metronome & got an easy to use free tuning app! I’m still on video 3 but I like it there, I’ll need to practice some more during winter and level up to vid 4- Thank you for your video’s, they really easy to follow & enjoyable! Your hair looks lovely in this video it frames your wee face so prettily
Hi. Beginner player with small hands over here! this video is so helpful and I have been practicing daily. Do you have any guitar recommendations/link to small-hand friendly guitar? thank you so much!
Thank you so much!😘this video save my life lol.I mean I’ve learned a lot of things about buying guitar.I have a plan to buy guitar and tried to search if what is the best,then I saw this video.❤
my fingers are like only few milimeters longer than yours, so still fairly small. No problem playing full sclae fender or classical guitar, it just requires good posture and good technique (thumb behind neck and between index and middle finger) neck elevated. I play either classical position or with electric i have strap that holds guitar in that same position. There is a reason for this classical position guys...scale length is not 650mm becasue all players had huge hands back then but because that is the length most healthy hands can handle with good technique and have good sound (atleast for classical)
This was the perfect video I actually baby hand like LITERALLY and I’m 21 I felt so discouraged and got frustrated because I feel like I just can’t play but this helped so much ❤️
I GET IT NOW. I borrowed a guitar from my uncle and its to wide for me. I am on vacation so i left my guitars at home alone. Thank you Allen we love you❤
@@for3v3rfaithful I just wanted to learn metallica nothing else matters (only the Intro tabs) 😔 but first i need to wait 4 days ⏰️ ... 🙁 I will let you know when i did it, its going to take a while... bye Allen 👋.
OMG, thank yo so much Ellen❤ I’ve always struggled with different chords and thought it was just because I wasn’t practicing enough(I practiced a LOT) I will see to these tips, again thank you!!! You’re awesome😄😄
I hope they help!! 🤞🏼 Learning to play a little differently with smaller hands can take some getting used to but hopefully one of or some of these tips are useful! 🙌
I never played guitar until today, because i really wanted to learn a song and it looked easy so i got my dad's guitar and started learning, until the tabs wanted me to have a finger on 2 another on 3 and the last on 5 and my fingers were just uncapable of doing it even though the guitar im using is 1/2 size i think, haha. The song I really want to learn is "He was a good stalker" i will try those finger exercises, thats might be what i need
Excellent video. Very inspiring. I've lost count how often I've quit playing the guitar because of the problem i have playing a g chord, believe it or not. Small hands (no jokes please 😊) is the problem. I've no difficulty with all the other open chords. Time to give the guitar another go. PS subscribed.
Great job and you present yourself very well. Being an adult, I don't care for the cartoon graphics but if it helps to get kids interested in playing, then it might be a good strategy. Thank you.
I'm trying to look for my first guitar and having issue if I should just get a smaller guitar because I am short with small hands. But I also had no idea there was different shapes for chords
Ahh man, the thing is my dad brought me a guitar as a surprise gift because I always wanted one, but since we didn't know much about guitars, we weren't really sure what size to get. And honestly, we kinda broke, so it's hard to get another guitar. I think I'll just attempt to find a way to play on this big acoustic guitar haha.
Great video hi Ellen this is Ray I am 60 years old and learning to play guitar finally I do have small hands and my index finger is been broken for quite a long time and it's hard to bend but still muscling through can you recommend a guitar for small hands honey they can't even right now I'm practicing with a 1972 national EF 199 it's kind of big for me but I did get down horse with no name anyway any good recommendations thank you again great video
What about scales and arpeggios for the tiny fingered player? My pinky is so small it's impossible for me to get my finger tip on a note of it's more than 1 fret away
Thanks for the tips! However....of all the videos I've watched that were made to help those of us with short fingers and/or small hands, I've yet to see a single one in which the host puts all the tips together and actually plays a song to prove they work. Might you be the one to break the string? Thanks!
Ellen do you think you could do a tutorial on how to do tabs and read it or how to read sheet music ive kinda been playing the same cords and i wanna try to do a song
Thank so much for these tips! It was the perfect advice at a perfect time for me! My hands are only slightly bigger than yours although I'm a guy! And I just started recently to learn guitar. Tried a bit on dreadnought and really could tell it's not for me after trying some chords. Are you using a Parlor size acoustic your self? Seems like a nice size for my hands.
I'm so glad you found these tips helpful! 🙌 I have quite a few guitars I play and feature on my channel and they range between half size all the way to dreadnought. 🎸 One of my favorites is my Orchestra Model Martin because it's comfortable to play on but still sounds oh, so beautiful. 🥰 Thanks for watching!
I'm having such a hard freaking time with the B Minor Bar Chord, as a beginner and my hands are small. Feels like I'm never going to progress... I've been playing on a 38 inch guitar. I think I'ma have to get a 34 inch or something
Amazing, it's so important for me to find information on technology/instruments from women of color! This was so fun to watch. I have played guitar for 17 years and my small hands have always hindered me from playing a lot of what I want. I mainly play progressive metal/metalcore type stuff so a lot of riffing and breakdowns. So with down tunings, I never have the privilege of being able to have a smaller guitar. I recently ordered a 7 string Ibanez multiscale guitar with a thin c neck. I'm not going to be discouraged, if anything it will push me to practice harder! I spent about 2 months strictly practicing on an acoustic to strengthen my fingers for the electric. Thanks for this video!!! I am now a subscriber!!
Thank you so much for subscribing and supporting my channel! 🥰 I'm really glad the info in this video was helpful and I'm sure after all your years of experience that you've developed your own tips on playing with small hands. 🤗 Congrats on your new guitar coming soon and I hope you enjoy playing on it! 🎸🎶
we literally have the same exact hand size the only difference is that im a 5,8 male like what? But this does give me hope that i'll be able to play guitar in the future especially after struggling with an acoustic guitar.
Hi, I love you video, every informative. For you, spider, we do something similar with my guitar teacher, but I cannot for the life of me get all my fingers, 1 on each fret. My baby finger won't go. Do you have any suggestions or stretching exercises that might help. I've been playing about 5 months, but don't feel as though I'm getting any closer to hitting that last fret. Thank you.
Thank you! A vid for small-handed guitarists *_actually made by_* someone with small hands!
I know the struggle 🥲 But hopefully this was encouraging you to continue on your guitar journey! 💪🏼🎸🎶 Thanks for watching! 💕
@@for3v3rfaithfulYeah I believe what you are giving us but still no matter how small the notes still get muted so just living with the dilemma 😭💔 Gumby tiny Hands 🥹
@@for3v3rfaithfulThey make long nails extensions for the finger why for playing 😭💔
It’s a miracle
this is literally the exact thing i tried looking for videos for when i starting learning to play guitar. you don't know how much i appreciate this video. it came just at the right time. I'll definitely be trying these tips!
me toooooooooo oh goshhhh
I have just bought a Squier Mini Strat 3/4 size guitar. I am 155cms tall with fairly small hands. I had a giant size grin in the store when I held the guitar. The shorter scale length, narrow neck & frets closer together is just bliss. You can imagine my excitement.....as I also have a full size classical dreadnaught guitar, which obviously also has a high action, being a classical. The latter has been stored in a hardcase for 50 years. I will never buy a full size guitar ever again. Bottom line.....hand size DOES matter.
I LOVE my new Squier Mini Strat, which fits my body & hand size perfectly. PS I did watch your video before my purchase.
Thank you for your sound advice.
🇿🇦🎸 Cape Town, South Africa.
Here’s the deal: It is WAY better to have big hands. However, many years ago, even though I knew that was true, I wanted to play so bad I decided to put in the work knowing I’d never be a great player because of my small hands. 30 years of playing down the road, with hundreds of gigs behind me, three studio recordings, radio appearances, etc., I still can’t really do a major form II barre chord on acoustic. But I’ve had a total blast doing what I could with what I was given.
It’s really hard to accept that we have such limits, but I guess reality is always there, thanks for sharing your experience man. I was feeling down because I finally decided to stop forcing me the thought that I could play as someone with big hands, which isn’t true, I’ll keep trying, I’ll try to cheat (like using other fingers) and so, but I won’t stress too much if I can’t play those specific chords
This was encouraging, gave me hope. I'm a guy, but I also have smaller hands than even many of my female friends. I'm sure some of the 3-finger position maneuvering along the neck leaves me looking much like a kid trying to scale a toddler gate. This video gives me hope. ❤
All solid tips. As someone with smaller hands (and being an older late beginner), implementing these tips will definitely help to optimize our abilities.
I really hope they do! 🤗 Thanks so much for watching and best of luck on your guitar journey! 💪
Snap... old beginner here too,, 🙂
It blows my mind that there are actually so many shapes 😱, I bought a classical guitar and no one told me if it was a D-shape or a U-shape or anything else.🤦🏻♂️ However I tried it, but it's hard to know, unless you are very experimented, if you choose right. Your videos are so educational, Ellen 🥰
Thanks Alain! I agree - so many aspects of buying a guitar are totally overlooked by most beginners because how can you know what to look for if you've never been told about it? 🤔 I'm glad I could teach you something new, and thanks so much for watching! 🤗💕
I got the measurements from a different guitar and estimated a smaller nut width and scale that would feel more comfortable. I ended up finding a Gretsch "Jim Dandy" (Mahogany), and I cannot tell you how wonderful and warm it sounds and how much more comfortable I am learning to play it
Hi Ellen, I have small hands because I am like 11 years old, but this is some good quality information thanks.
Keep at it! You’ll never feel bad about knowing how to play music. 🎶
Another thing they might want to try is moving to electric. I've always had trouble with most acoustics with my hands. A strat style guitar has a very small neck in comparison. Even my Les Paul style guitar is comfortable even though it's a little bigger. Overall, a well done video. Ty for what you do.
Try an Ovation guitar, electric style necks..
I have electric Ibanez with S shape body and wizard neck and my hand is still to small... I give up...
@impactQuake I know it can be difficult, but there are other ways to enjoy guitar if the 'conventional' ways are tough. I still have trouble with some chords like f and Barre chords. You could try alternative fingerings for each chord to get the same sound, or work on finger picking and solo stuff. I hope you find a way that can work for you. I've given up like 6 times, so I get it.
@@saikoteeki I can't even do 0-1-2-3-4 training without big pain because my pinky is not reaching and middle of my inner hand is bruised >.
@@impactQuake I struggle with that as well. I usually do 0-1-2-3 and lift off to hit 4 with my pinky or jump 1 to 4 doing a blues riff. Lift off for all of them if you have to. Don't be afraid to break 'rules' and get creative. I'm just saying they're your fingers and your guitar. You can do it your way. Most chords are 1-3 frets and can be simplified. That covers a LOT of music. I wish you well. I can't force you to keep it up, since it's your decision. I know being at a disadvantage IS daunting, but it's worth it.
Thank you ma'am!!! I've been "Blessed" with small hands and short fingers and these are very good tips. Thanks again.
My wrist doesn't have 100% rotation following an accident and reconstruction a few years back, so I'm always interested in seeming alternate ways to get into position for some of the notes / chords. It has definitely made learning guitar challenging.
In the last exercise Ellen gives, it's best to start on the 5th Fret first due to the first Fret being further apart (as she said). Practice to the highest E string. Then, back to the lowest E string. Then, after approximately a fortnight, once it starts feeling more comfortable, move up a Fret. I decided to create something extra & extended each practice by plucking with my right thumb on round one. Round 2 with i, m (striking twice on each note). Round 3 (striking 3 times on each note) with i, m. Round 4 with m, a (Striking 4 times on each note) & 5th note on a, m. Besides exercising your Right hand fingers as well, it holds your left hand fingers in position longer, extending the stretch. You don't have to start with all 5 rounds if it feels too much. You can build up to it. Remember, it's not speed we're focusing on here, but improving your strength and dexterity of your fingers. When you feel comfortable at the first Fret, then, if you want, you can start increasing your speed. Hope this helps! It's helped me! After practising this exercise for 4 weeks, I've just started on the 3rd fret. No. I'm not a professional, but I used to play Flamenco casually years ago & got back into it a few months ago. I don't remember my left hand or arm hurting as it is, but then I've been pretty determined to succeed. As with any muscles that you stretch on any part of the body, it will be a little sore in the beginning. One just stops when it gets too sore & start again the next day & the muscles get stronger. So, don't give up! Good luck, everyone & enjoy your progress!
I absolutely love your enthusiasm and positive attitude. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for watching! 🤗
I've just ordered my travel guitar and I've come across this video when looking up how to play with small hands. GIRLLL I'm gonna need you! Thanks!
Haha well you've already done well by getting a travel size! 🙌 Thanks for watching! 💕
Love how you teach. You’re the best teacher. I have a very small hands. Only 6” from the bottom of my palm to the tip of my middle finger. I’ll watch your other video on how to do with my thumb next. Thanks again for the encouragement.
Hi Ellen! Thank you for these tips! I started teaching myself guitar 14 years ago, and your videos was helpful for me, but I don't watch them as much anymore. I also have small hands and short fingers. My hands and fingers are almost the same size as yours except my index finger is 2" instead of 2.5." I have two 3/4 guitars, one is a classical guitar with a wide fretboard, and the other is an acoustic with narrower fretboard, it it is much easier to use the acoustic. Funny thing is that piano is my main instrument I play, and someone shook my hand one time and said "you have tiny hands. You're not a pianist are you?" and I said "actually I am and I majored in music for college." It is difficult to play piano and guitar with small hands/fingers but it's possible!
Totally agree! 🙌 We just have to figure out how to do things our own way to accommodate our bodies. 🤗 Thanks for sharing! 💕
this is very encouraging! the finger exercise is helpful as well! thanks for your guidance!
That's good to know! Thanks so much for watching and I'm glad these tips could be helpful for you! 🤗
Thank you, my hand size has been one of my biggest insecurities, especially as an adult male, 31 years old, my hands are below average(though for my height maybe they are average idk) and for a long time thought it would make it impossible to learn. Got to the point where it hit me I gotta try anyway. I figured if there are 7 year olds playing I am just making excuses. I picked up cycling, but need some new hobbies. A couple hour bike ride is great but the couch is not a great place to be so often. So I finally reached out to a local shop to look for lessons (I know I can learn on UA-cam but I know myself and know I need someone to push and keep me accountable). Thank you again, you've helped make it feel possible
Thank you! It was becoming very frustrating not feeling as though I could reach the chords.
The only reason that motivated me to try to learn guitar was exactly that I saw that you, like me, have little hands, and I thought exactly that: if she can play, then I can play too 😄and so I did, I bought a beginners guitar that you advertised, and went from Beginners Tutorial 1-10, until I made it! 💪💪💪 thank you so much for your amazing tutorials. I shared your channel with so many friends already!
Thank you! My fingers are the EXACT same size as yours. I'm 68 years old and I have been playing for about 1 1/2 years, it's been a struggle and I have found I've had to work around a few problems, in the beginning I wasn't aware that there are alternative ways to play chords. Watching you play will be helpful I'm sure.
I sure hope so! 🤞🏼 Having smaller hands/shorter fingers definitely comes with its frustrations but it's like you said - you learn workarounds as you go and we might play things a little differently sometimes but it doesn't really matter too much when the alternative is not playing at all, right? 😉 Thanks for watching and good luck! 💕
Thanks. I'm trying to learn guitar and my hands are pretty small and it's hard to get some of the chords
This is soo good and latter end of this video really target some Beginner questions I had. Thank you for this and your tips with encouragement for us short-handed folk! 😆
I’m so glad I was able to address the questions you had! 🙌🏼 Thanks for learning with me and my videos! 🥰
Thank you sooo much for this video, my finger measurements are the same as yours and so is my hand. I've struggled for years, I have arthritis in both hands plus I'm left handed, I have MS also so after a while I gave up on learning. I have a squire affinity strat guitar that's 25.5 scale length that I still can't play. In mid December I ordered an ESP LTD EC-256. It's scale length is 24.75 and the body is smaller so I'm determined to learn to play. I'm glad I ran across your channel!
Thank you so much for your time you have given us small handy peeps, I want to learn when I was a young kid but always had trouble, I acquired a Hondo guitar recently & it has pushed me to learn, after listening/watching you I think my Hondo guitar is going to be to big for me
As a dude with ridiculously small hands (I checked and I have almost the exact same measurements as you) this helps SO much, thank you!
this was unbelievable helpful, you answered questions that i didnt know could be addressed.... like the "action". muito obrigado
When she says "lower the action"....as a beginner, it sure would be nice to know what that means and how do it..
Not sure if you found out but it means the strings are lower to the frets so you don't have as far to press the strings til you hit the fret board.
@AmandaSnoise to be honest, I never learned because I quit trying. I have no one to teach me and it was just too hard and didn't understand. I feel like the guitar is too large for my hands...even though the neck is still thin profile 😔
@@defaultdacat I encourage you to try again! I have a HUGE Spanish guitar from my brother, teeny weenie hands and am a beginner (maybe three weeks now). I have been practicing the changes slowly over and over without a pick so it's very quiet and I don't feel too self conscious. I'll make a post of my super newbie basic practice method and maybe it can help! Playing guitar is fun and soothing 😊
Thank you for the tips 🥰 I do have a question: can you also play on a normal size guitar or you only choose 3/4 ones?
I can still play full size guitars and even own a dreadnaught but I definitely feel more comfortable with 3/4 sizes. 🤗
@@for3v3rfaithful thank you so much for the answer ❤️ I just started learning guitar and I feel my hands are so small tho it seems my hands are a bit bigger than yours. I'm 160cm woman 😆 I bought a dreadnought guitar and i hope I will get used to it with practice 😌
I've got tiny hands so I prefer D shapes. Many guitar videos do not mention this and even in the specs for guitars its not mentioned anymore, so this is a very informative video. If you lower the action on a travel guitar lighter strings might not be possible. Glad I found your channel I will look up your other videos. Thanks.
Starting on bass can also make your hands stretch more easily.
Very nice. Really appreciate your video. I'm a 55 years old male who have started learning electric guitar for 4-5 years. I'm 167 cm in height but surprisingly all measurement from my hands are shorter than yours (except for the hand length which is slightly longer). Yes with hard practice I can play guitars (bar chords, some tough chords are not really problem but need to find my own way to do it) but with a number of limitations when coming to solos. I always have bad pain on my wrist and thumb (guess this is because I have to bend my wrist and position my thumb behind the neck most of the time otherwise my pinky won't even reach the 3rd string without muting the 1st and 2nd. On "A" power chord I can't mute the 1st string with the thumb.
I normally sit with classical guitar posture instead of standard electric guitar posture. It is much more comfortable.
Guess I have to look for a right guitar for my hands i.e. shorter scale length, thinner neck, narrow fret board.
With very small hand and short fingers, one surely can play guitars but have to struggle a lot to be a good player. Keep going guys, you can do it.
There are many skilled children playing guitar on UA-cam. They have smaller hands than you.
There shouldn't be any pain when playing, maybe put your guitar higher up or at an angle. Good luck!
I can't play F 😭
Thank you so much. Male 16 yrld with very small hands. Was losing hope because every guitar i had was to big. I am learning about guitars so i didnt know there was different sizes for guitar. Thank you so much
Extremely grateful ❤
Interesting... thank you... I have just started learning and yes it is difficult to do even the beginner stuff. Mind you I am 82, but still have quite good hand dexterity. I do have a full size guitar (a Yamaha F310), but it has a very slim neck which helps. All I have to do now is attempt to play enough to toughen up my finger ends... I think your tips will help a lot... :-) x
I subbed because this is exactly the challenge I am facing! Small hands that don't stretch all that well. i will now be going to watch your other videos as i feel you will be able to help me over come this and not give up after spending the money I did. I can confirm what you said about the string gauge as I just convinced my son (who wanted me to learn) to change to a lighter one. It definitely did make a difference, but it does change the sound, so be aware of that. I did sneaky wise buy myself a capo and yes I can confirm this one as well. However my son is right, by using it you are not helping to strengthen your fingers or your reach. Hope this helps others.
Thank you for the insight! 🙌 I'm glad these tips were helpful and appreciate the sub! 💕 Mastering guitar is definitely something that takes time, patience, and quite some trial and error - but you've got this! 🎸🎶
@@for3v3rfaithful Thank you for this most needed boost of confidence. That was what I figured other's might need to by telling my story on learning an reinforcing that what you are saying is spot on. : )
Thank youuuu! This is perfect for my 12 yo daughter, she's going to buy her first guitar and this is really helpful!
That's so exciting for her!! 🎉 I hope she loves it! 🎸💕 And thanks for watching 🤗
Great video and the effort put into it is amazing. I have a 3/4 Ibanez Mikro with locking tuners and it's great. I can finally play barre chords.
OMG i hope i find the vid ealier. my hands are so smal that i'm always thinking about quit guitar cuz my teacher said i dont have the gift...but i never thought about choozing the right size which may fit me better😭thanks for your video and your voice is so sweet❤
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!! I NEEDED THIS!
Me too. Seems to be my biggest nemesis. Good incentive.
Wow.. this one really hits me.. this one encourage me more to touch my guitar every day... Thank yo so much 😊😊
Yes, practicing daily is the best way to see improvements, even with small hands and short fingers! 🤗💕
I was bought a parlour Fender guitar she’s a beauty, I tied some feather’s & a crystal on her so she kept catching my eye & make me want to pick her up & play! Took me a while until I found your video’s.. once I found your wee arrows & easy strumming I made some sounds that heightened my enthusiasm! My hands are small & my fingers are like sausages, but I’ve kept going! I bought a metronome & got an easy to use free tuning app! I’m still on video 3 but I like it there, I’ll need to practice some more during winter and level up to vid 4- Thank you for your video’s, they really easy to follow & enjoyable! Your hair looks lovely in this video it frames your wee face so prettily
Hi. Beginner player with small hands over here! this video is so helpful and I have been practicing daily. Do you have any guitar recommendations/link to small-hand friendly guitar? thank you so much!
Thank you so much!😘this video save my life lol.I mean I’ve learned a lot of things about buying guitar.I have a plan to buy guitar and tried to search if what is the best,then I saw this video.❤
The amount of effort you put into your videos 🤘🏻
I wish I knew this information 16 years ago before I bought my first guitar. 😂 I struggled for years, but the struggle made me a better guitar player.
That’s so true, now you have the confidence to play anything on any guitar because you’ve worked past the struggle! 💪🏼
You're such a helpful individual. I appreciate the work you put into making these videos for us strangers. Thank you.
my fingers are like only few milimeters longer than yours, so still fairly small. No problem playing full sclae fender or classical guitar, it just requires good posture and good technique (thumb behind neck and between index and middle finger) neck elevated.
I play either classical position or with electric i have strap that holds guitar in that same position.
There is a reason for this classical position guys...scale length is not 650mm becasue all players had huge hands back then but because that is the length most healthy hands can handle with good technique and have good sound (atleast for classical)
This was the perfect video
I actually baby hand like LITERALLY and I’m 21 I felt so discouraged and got frustrated because I feel like I just can’t play but this helped so much ❤️
I'm so glad I could give you a little encouragement and hope these tips help! 🤗 Thanks for watching! 💕
Very good video, but you should tell, that using low stringheight and light strings make the guitar very quieter.
More finger exercises please!!!❤️
yes please more finger exercises!
As a 5'1 person with small hands just starting to learn how to play guitar. This is helpful
Still Playing?
I GET IT NOW. I borrowed a guitar from my uncle and its to wide for me. I am on vacation so i left my guitars at home alone. Thank you Allen we love you❤
It definitely makes a huge difference for small hands! 🙌 The first time I played on my classical guitar (super wide neck) it was so different! 😱
@@for3v3rfaithful I just wanted to learn metallica nothing else matters (only the Intro tabs) 😔 but first i need to wait 4 days ⏰️ ... 🙁 I will let you know when i did it, its going to take a while... bye Allen 👋.
Nah just that I'm a kid its hard to be an 11 year old girl but still I have a jumbo guitar but I settle with it
OMG, thank yo so much Ellen❤ I’ve always struggled with different chords and thought it was just because I wasn’t practicing enough(I practiced a LOT) I will see to these tips, again thank you!!! You’re awesome😄😄
I hope they help!! 🤞🏼 Learning to play a little differently with smaller hands can take some getting used to but hopefully one of or some of these tips are useful! 🙌
love Orangewood Guitars
I never played guitar until today, because i really wanted to learn a song and it looked easy so i got my dad's guitar and started learning, until the tabs wanted me to have a finger on 2 another on 3 and the last on 5 and my fingers were just uncapable of doing it even though the guitar im using is 1/2 size i think, haha. The song I really want to learn is "He was a good stalker"
i will try those finger exercises, thats might be what i need
Excellent video. Very inspiring. I've lost count how often I've quit playing the guitar because of the problem i have playing a g chord, believe it or not. Small hands (no jokes please 😊) is the problem. I've no difficulty with all the other open chords. Time to give the guitar another go. PS subscribed.
Rooting for you! 💪 Thanks so much for watching and sending positive vibes your way to finally get that G shape down! 🤗💕
Loved the video! Could you share what is your guitar model and maybe where to buy it? :)
Great job and you present yourself very well. Being an adult, I don't care for the cartoon graphics but if it helps to get kids interested in playing, then it might be a good strategy.
Thank you.
I'm trying to look for my first guitar and having issue if I should just get a smaller guitar because I am short with small hands. But I also had no idea there was different shapes for chords
Thank you so much! Sadly i already brought the guitar and the play doesnt do refunds, wish i had known this sooner..
Thank you for the tips and encouragement, I was almost about to give up. ❤
You are an expert when it comes to guitars which is why you earned a sub 🎉
Also I DO want you to like um.. 😅.. share us your top 5 finger exercise tips..or maybe u already posted that video somewhere…
Ahh man, the thing is my dad brought me a guitar as a surprise gift because I always wanted one, but since we didn't know much about guitars, we weren't really sure what size to get. And honestly, we kinda broke, so it's hard to get another guitar. I think I'll just attempt to find a way to play on this big acoustic guitar haha.
That was Great! Thank You.
Glad these tips were helpful for you! 🤗 Thanks for watching! 💕
Thank you
Great video hi Ellen this is Ray I am 60 years old and learning to play guitar finally I do have small hands and my index finger is been broken for quite a long time and it's hard to bend but still muscling through can you recommend a guitar for small hands honey they can't even right now I'm practicing with a 1972 national EF 199 it's kind of big for me but I did get down horse with no name anyway any good recommendations thank you again great video
Really helpful - thank you!
Excellent explaining right to the point
Glad you liked it! 🤗 Thanks for watching 🎸🎶
Impressive!! Just bought a guitar recently, my fingers cant cover, literally two frets
GREAT VIDEO❤ thank you !
Thanks so much! 🥰
Thank you! Would love finger exercise video! 😢
On it!! 💪
Thanks so much for your enlightenment.
I subscribed.
Thanks so much! 🥰 I'm glad these tips were helpful, and welcome to the channel! 🫶
thank you for all that info. do you use a 3/4 size guitar?
Yes, I have a 3/4 size in my Baby Taylor and it's one of my favorites to play on. 🤗
That's great 😊 I Love this episode 🤩
What about scales and arpeggios for the tiny fingered player?
My pinky is so small it's impossible for me to get my finger tip on a note of it's more than 1 fret away
Thanks for the tips! However....of all the videos I've watched that were made to help those of us with short fingers and/or small hands, I've yet to see a single one in which the host puts all the tips together and actually plays a song to prove they work. Might you be the one to break the string? Thanks!
very nice video. Was great to see all this information. Gonna remember this for when I finally get to buy my own guitar
Ellen do you think you could do a tutorial on how to do tabs and read it or how to read sheet music ive kinda been playing the same cords and i wanna try to do a song
Thanks a million
thank you
Yes, please do a practice exercises FAQ.
Thank you this helped so much I can play a bar chord now😄
stuck at trying to fret a C chord for like weeks now. Didnt struggle like this with bass...
Can you recommend a guitar brand or model for small hands, beginners level and senior? thank you
Thank so much for these tips! It was the perfect advice at a perfect time for me! My hands are only slightly bigger than yours although I'm a guy! And I just started recently to learn guitar. Tried a bit on dreadnought and really could tell it's not for me after trying some chords. Are you using a Parlor size acoustic your self? Seems like a nice size for my hands.
I'm so glad you found these tips helpful! 🙌 I have quite a few guitars I play and feature on my channel and they range between half size all the way to dreadnought. 🎸 One of my favorites is my Orchestra Model Martin because it's comfortable to play on but still sounds oh, so beautiful. 🥰 Thanks for watching!
This is really helpful
So glad these tips were helpful! 🤗 Thanks for watching! 🫶
I'm having such a hard freaking time with the B Minor Bar Chord, as a beginner and my hands are small. Feels like I'm never going to progress... I've been playing on a 38 inch guitar. I think I'ma have to get a 34 inch or something
Amazing, it's so important for me to find information on technology/instruments from women of color! This was so fun to watch. I have played guitar for 17 years and my small hands have always hindered me from playing a lot of what I want. I mainly play progressive metal/metalcore type stuff so a lot of riffing and breakdowns. So with down tunings, I never have the privilege of being able to have a smaller guitar. I recently ordered a 7 string Ibanez multiscale guitar with a thin c neck. I'm not going to be discouraged, if anything it will push me to practice harder! I spent about 2 months strictly practicing on an acoustic to strengthen my fingers for the electric. Thanks for this video!!! I am now a subscriber!!
Thank you so much for subscribing and supporting my channel! 🥰 I'm really glad the info in this video was helpful and I'm sure after all your years of experience that you've developed your own tips on playing with small hands. 🤗 Congrats on your new guitar coming soon and I hope you enjoy playing on it! 🎸🎶
you are just awesome ....and pretty ....thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and experience.
we literally have the same exact hand size the only difference is that im a 5,8 male like what? But this does give me hope that i'll be able to play guitar in the future especially after struggling with an acoustic guitar.
Hi, I love you video, every informative. For you, spider, we do something similar with my guitar teacher, but I cannot for the life of me get all my fingers, 1 on each fret. My baby finger won't go. Do you have any suggestions or stretching exercises that might help. I've been playing about 5 months, but don't feel as though I'm getting any closer to hitting that last fret. Thank you.
Thank you!! :)
Hope these tips help you out! Thanks for watching! 🫶
Excellent video. TY
Great stuff!
Thank you so much ❤️❤️